Rail-splice



(No Model'.)

H. F. COX.

- RAL SPLICE.

No. 362,722. Patented May 10, 1887.

Nira TATES `ATENT fOFFiCEe HENRY F. OOX, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAlL-SPLICE.

EPECIFICATION fozming part of Letters Patent No. 362,722, dated May 10,1887.

Application filed August 24, 1886. Serial NO. 211,708. (No model.)

To aZZ witam, it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY F. Cox, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in RailSplices, of which thefollowing is a true and exact description, due refcrence being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form part hcreof.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved splice or supportfor railroad-rails by means of which the abutting ends of two rails maybe firmly held together and prevented from moving vertically withreference to each other; and my invention consists of the clip orsupporting-splice, made substantially as shown in the drawings, andhereinafter more fully described.

Reference is now had to the drawings, which show a railjoint providedwith my improved supporting-splice, and in which Figure lis a sideelevation; Fig. 2, a Vertical cross-section on the line 'x x of Fig. 1;Fig. 3, a plan view with the upper end of one clamping-piece cut away onthe line y y of Fig. 2.

A A are the abutting ends of two rails, a a being their flanged bases; BB, the usual railsplices.

O O C are the bolts which secure the splices to the rails.

D D are ties.

E, Fig. 1, is my improved rail-splice, which consists of twowedge-pieces, F and G, Figs. 2 and 3, each provided with inwardly-pro-`jecting clamps J J and inclined surfaces H and H', adapted to slideupon each other, and when the clips F and G are drawn together theyclamp the base a a of the rails tightly between the projecting clamps Jand the railsupporting surfaces F' of the wedge-piece F.

I is a bolt passing through boltholes in the bottom of the wedge-piecesF and G, and by means of which they are drawn together and made toclalnp the ends of the rails between the clamps J J and thesupporting-surface F'.

The bolt-holes in one or both of the wedgcpieces should be made oflarger size than the bolt, preferably of elongated section, so as topermit of the sliding of the one piece on the other. In one of thewedge-pieces F or G, I prefer to make a central projecting rib, K, and Icut away the Corners L L of the abutting rails to provide a recess intowhich the rib K can enter. Bythis device the rail-splice E is held inposition and prevented from moving longitudnally away from therail-joint.

My device may be used in connection with what is called theidouble-anglesplicefiand it may also be used without any fish-platesplice, as it is in itself adapted to prescrve bot-h the horizontal andVertical alignment of the rails and to hold them firmly together. Iprefer, however, to use my device in connection with fish-plates, whichare greatly re-enforced by its use and are less liable to break. Caremust be taken to insure that the spacesjj are sufficientl y large toclear the edges of the railbase a, so that the bottom of the rail shallbe tightly clamped between the projections J and the base F, it being ofthe greatest importance that the bases of the rails shall be firmly andevenly supported on their under sides.

To insure the tight clamping of the railbase it is also important thatthe clamps J should not come in contact with the web or head of therail, as this would interfere with the action of the wedges and clamps.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-' In a rail-splice, substantially asspecified, the combination of the wedge-piece F, having a projection, J,inclined surface H, and railsupporting surface F', the Wedge-piece G,having a projection, J, and inclined surface H', and the bolt I.

HENRY F. COX. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

P. B. PRINCE, AL. P. BUROHELL'

